Four House Republicans who are military veterans have warned about the effects on military recruiting of the Biden administration’s mishandling of the suspected Chinese spy balloon and the messy Afghanistan withdrawal.
Military recruitment is usually affected by a variety of different reasons, but in the 2022 fiscal year, the recruitment numbers were the lowest they have been since 1973 when the service first began being an all-volunteer force.
Florida GOP. Rep. Michael Waltz in an interview with Fox News Digital spoke about the Heritage Foundation poll which showed that 68% of active-duty service members considered the administration’s focus on the climate and gender issues as two of the primary national security priorities which could negatively impact whether or not they would encourage their children to also join the military.
Waltz, who is himself an Army veteran, said that the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the inability to stop the Ukraine invasion, and the Chinese spy balloon incident showcase the administration’s weakness which could potentially be stopping many from joining the army.
Texas GOP Rep. Troy Nehls, who is also a retired major from the Army Reserves, spoke about how Biden’s response to the Chinese balloon showed weakness. He added that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate could also have many negative effects on recruitment.
GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a veteran of the Air Force also said that the Chinese balloon incident has reinforced the belief of some people that Biden was “not a good commander in chief.”
